Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, April 8, 2013
(BLOOMINGTON) - The parents of a 4-month-old girl were arrested and preliminarily charged with neglect Friday after allegedly failing to seek proper medical treatment for the child, who had been suffering seizures.
31-year-old John Allen and 21-year-old Heather Miller both facing preliminary charges for neglect of a dependent. Allen also faces charges for aggravated battery.
According to Bloomington Police Sgt. Dana Cole, the morning of March 22, the parents brought the baby to IU Health Bloomington for examination of a possible brain injury. The child was referred by personnel at the hospital to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, and the parents were given the option to either have an ambulance transport her or find transportation themselves.
The parents told Department of Child Services officials they would bring the baby to Riley themselves by that evening but failed to do so. DCS contacted BPD that evening to locate the mother and father.
BPD officers found the parents and child March 23 near the Crestmont neighborhood and took the baby to Riley. The parents were taken to the police station for questioning.
During an interview, the mother told police she and the father could not find a way to transport their daughter to Indianapolis. Cole says, when police asked if she understood the severity of the child's injuries, the mother acted as if nothing was wrong with the child.
The mother also told police the father would shake and roughhouse with the child and once dropped her.
During an interview with police, the father admitted to having anger issues as well as dropping the infant once when she was two months old. The father also admitted to having an alcohol problem, and while he did not want to hurt the baby when he was drinking, the alcohol caused it to happen.
On March 27, medical personnel at Riley, determined the baby was suffering from bilateral subdural hematoma and told police the injuries sustained by the child were consistent with the symptoms of shaken baby syndrome.
Although an initial probable cause affidavit was called in March 28, an amended version was issued Friday, when a detective on the case arrested the mother and father at a McDonald's restaurant on the west side of Bloomington.
The child has since been released to DCS and placed in foster care.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.